Policy 5220

Inclement Weather/Campus Emergency Closings

I. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to state the communication process when University operations are affected by inclement weather/emergency closings and to outline the procedures related to pay and leave. Situations that are not outlined in this policy will adhere to the Department of Human Resource Management Policy 1.35, Emergency Closings.

II. Definitions

Authorized Closing: A closing of the University by the President or designee during periods of inclement weather, natural disasters or other factors that may affect university operations.

Compensatory Leave: Compensatory Leave is paid to classified employees (exempt and non-exempt) for having worked additional hours in a workweek; having worked on an official office closing day, a holiday, or a scheduled day off; or when a holiday falls on a classified employee's scheduled day off.

Designated Employee: An employee who has been designated as essential to agency operations during an authorized closing and who is required to report for work. A designated employee may be required to work during a work shift that is not his or her regularly scheduled work shift.

Exempt Employee: An employee who is not subject to the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Non-designated Employee: An employee whose position has not been designated as essential to agency operations during an authorized closing and who is not required to report to work during the authorized closing.

Non-exempt Employee: An employee who is subject to the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Overtime Leave: Overtime leave may be granted as an alternative to the payment of overtime compensation at the non-exempt classified employee's election and with the consent of management. The rate of overtime leave is one and one-half (1 ½) hours of leave for every hour worked over forty (40) in any workweek.

III. Notification of an Authorized Closing

Employees can confirm whether the University is open or closed by calling the Longwood University Information Line at 434.395.2000 or by checking the Longwood University web site at http://www.longwood.edu. Both of these official sources will have closing information available by 6:00 a.m. of the affected day or at the time of closing. Off-campus, closing announcements will be sent to the following primary broadcast media: WFLO-AM (870); WFLO-FM (95.7); and television network affiliates in Richmond (ABC, CBS, NBC), Lynchburg (ABC) and Charlottesville (CBS). The media will report closings only.

All-Day and Delayed Opening Authorized Closings: Official notification of an authorized closing or delayed opening will be made by 6:00 a.m. on the affected day. An all-day authorized closing will be in effect from 6:00 a.m. on the affected day until 6:00 a.m. on the following day.

Partial-Day Authorized Closings: Partial-day authorized closing will be announced by the Public Relations Office. When the University is closed after the beginning of the business day, the authorized closing will cover the time period from the beginning time of the authorized closing until 6:00 a.m. of the following day.

Closings for 24/7 Operations for nights, weekends, or when the University is closed: The Vice President of Facilities Management and Real Property and the Vice President for Student Affairs have the authority to make the decision that 24/7 operations will be credited with compensatory leave for the hours actually worked up to the maximum number of hours of their normal work shift. Non-exempt employees will be paid time and a half or receive overtime leave for any hours worked which exceed forty (40) hours in one work week. This decision will be jointly decided by these two vice presidents and will affect all 24/7 operations.

IV. Responsibility

It is the responsibility of vice presidents, academic deans, department heads, directors and supervisors to ensure that the provisions of this policy are reviewed with employees and administered in a consistent manner.

A list of designated employees will be maintained by each University department and will be forwarded to the Human Resources Office. It will be the responsibility of management to notify the Human Resources Office of any changes in the designated employee list for their department.

V. Policy

The following pay and leave guidelines will apply to classified employees only.

Designated Employees:

Designated employees required to report to work on a regularly scheduled workday affected by an authorized closing will:

be credited with compensatory leave for the hours actually worked up to maximum number of hours of their normal work shifts;

receive regular pay for his or her regularly scheduled shift; and

non-exempt employees will be paid time and a half or receive overtime leave for any hours worked which exceed forty (40) hours in one work week.

Designated employees required to report to work in addition to his or her normal workweek due to an authorized closing will:

earn compensatory leave for any hours worked up to maximum number of hours of their normal work shifts; and

non-exempt employee will be paid time and a half or receive overtime leave for any hours worked which exceed forty (40) hours in one work week.

Designated employees who do not report to work as scheduled during an authorized closing could have disciplinary action taken under the DHRM Standards of Conduct Policy, #1.60 and must charge time missed to existing leave balances or be placed on leave without pay, as applicable. However, at the discretion of the supervisor, a designated employee may be excused from reporting to work during an authorized closing.

Designated employees who arrive late due to inclement weather during an all-day authorized closing may be allowed up to one (1) hour of late arrival without being required by the supervisor to charge leave. The President or designee may determine that road conditions and transportation difficulties justify the tardiness.

Designated employees on pre-approved leave with pay during an authorized closing will not be charged leave.

Designated employees who work during an authorized closing that falls on a University designated holiday will:

receive regular pay for his or her shift;

earn eight (8) hours of compensatory leave for the holiday;

earn up to eight (8) hours of compensatory leave for hours worked; and

non-exempt employees will be paid time and a half or receive overtime leave for any hours worked which exceed forty (40) hours in one workweek.

Designated employees who do not report to work during an authorized closing on a University designated holiday will:

receive regular pay for the holiday; and

will not earn compensatory leave for the authorized closing.

Designated employees could have disciplinary action taken under the DHRM Standards of Conduct Policy, #1.60.

Non-Designated Employees:

Non-designated employees are not required to work during an authorized closing and will not be charged leave.

A non-designated employee may become a designated employee at the discretion of the department head and must be notified prior to the authorized closing of the status change. The department head must notify the Human Resources office of a change in status for such employee.

Non-designated employees who do not work on an official state holiday (that is not an observed Longwood holiday) due to an authorized closing will receive:

regular pay

Non-designated employees will not work during an authorized closing without prior approval from the department head. Non-designated employees who report to work during an authorized closing without the prior approval of the department head will not receive compensatory leave for any hours worked.

Non-designated employees who arrive late due to inclement weather when the University is not under an authorized closing, may be allowed up to one (1) hour of late arrival without being required by the supervisor to charge leave. The President or designee may determine that road conditions and transportation difficulties justify the tardiness.

Non-designated employees who do not report to work during a partial closing or delayed opening, will be required to use leave for the portion of the day not affected by the partial closing or delayed opening. Employees must have worked or taken paid leave the day before and the day after the authorized closing.

Non-designated employees who are on pre-approved leave during an authorized closing will not be charged leave.

Other Applications of Policy:

Weekend closing announcements will not be made through the official media sources. Employees are responsible for contacting their supervisor if affected by a possible authorized closing over the weekend.

Directors of off-campus offices have the authority to make the decision to close their respective offices and will be responsible for notifying their employees. Each off-campus office should develop and maintain their own communication plan and provide a copy to Human Resources.

Revised and approved by the Board of Visitors, September 7, 2002.
Revised and approved by the Board of Visitors, March 19, 2004.
Revised and approved by the Board of Visitors, September 10, 2010.